


No More

by Herminbean



Series: Doctor Doctor [5]
Category: Doctor Who, Doctor Who & Related Fandoms, Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: Crossover, Dark, Gen, Multiple Doctors (Doctor Who), Short One Shot, Time Travel, Time War (Doctor Who), Time War Angst (Doctor Who)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-19
Updated: 2018-12-19
Packaged: 2019-09-22 14:33:02
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,604
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17061551
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Herminbean/pseuds/Herminbean
Summary: The child has trapped the man with the blue box, and tortures him in ways that might break him





	No More

_Time is mine to control. I can destroy over and over again, and turn back the clock, and destroy more. You’d think this would get old._

The old man looked into the eyes of death itself. They looked back with no remorse, like they always did. The child smiled at him, coldly.

“And yet it never does.”

How long had the old man been here? In terms of actual time, only a few hours. When it came to his mind on the other hand. He had lost count. The planet had become his prison. This child, his guard. 

He had, of course, tried to run. To make it back to his blue box. But no matter what route he took, no matter how fast he ran, as he reached for the doors, the planet was destroyed, him along with it. And like every time before he found himself back in that damn forest, debating which direction to run. To the East, his TARDIS, and the offer of escaping this place. To the West, the child, and the chance to free everyone. 

And so, once again, he stood in front of the child. He had given so many speeches, all which had fallen on deaf ears. The child had taunted him every time and destroyed everything. No more pretty speeches.

The child sat on a fallen tree and studied the old man. “Hello again, Doctor.”

The old man’s eyes flashed with anger. “Don’t call me that.”

The child spewed a laugh that sent a shiver down the mans spine. “I see you’re still stubborn on that.”

The man clenched his fists, but didn’t approach. He knew if he showed any sign he intended to approach, things would reset again.

“You have to stop this.” He demanded.

“Why?”

The question was so simple, yet it made the Doctor stumble. The answer was as simple as the question, wasn’t it?

“You are making every living creature on this planet suffer for no reason.”

The child raised his arms and for a hearts stopping second the man was certain it was about to happen again. The child simply looked around in mock confusion.

“Every living thing on this planet? They don’t remember.” He smirked at the man. “Only you seem to have that unfortunate privilege.”

It was true. The man had come across a few of the planets inhabitants and they never seemed worried about any impending doom. They didn’t remember the planet shifting and burning over and over. The mans mind was different though. It didn’t remember things quite so linearly. He remembered it. Every time.

“Why do this?” The man turned the question back on the child.

The child shrugged. “Boredom.”

The man guessed the answer would anger him, but that might have been the worst thing this child could say.

“Boredom?” He spat, angrily.

The child span around and leant back, his feet now up high and his head resting on the ground. “When I came into being at the start of this silly little war of yours…”

“It’s not my war.” The man knew this wasn’t important right now, but he couldn’t bear the blame being put on him.

The child waved a dismissive hand. “It’s more yours than mine. When I came into being, I found I could warp reality on this silly little planet. However, having that much power became very tiresome.” He grinned at the man. “And then you came. And you changed the rules. You made it interesting.”

The man frowned. “Let me get back to my TARDIS. I’ll make it a lot more “interesting” for you.”

The child flipped back to his feet and cocked his head thoughtfully. “Maybe. Once I get bored with this little game.” He raised a single hand and pointed it at the man. “But for now…game on.”

The man closed his eyes and braced himself for death once again. Each time he thought it would get easier, but it never did. The only thought that kept him going was knowing that with each failure he was getting closer to a victory. Somehow, he would end this. But for now, he must burn.

Except, he wasn’t burning. Instead of destruction, the man heard a gentle humming. A familiar hum. He opened his eyes. The child was gone. Instead stood an older man. His eyes wide with shock. 

“Doctor?” The man said, hesitatingly.

Instincts kicked for the old man as he felt the familiar anger rising. “I’m not the…”

“…Doctor.”

The man spun around. A blonde lady was giving him the most peculiar look. She was dressed in the most ridiculous get up the man had seen in a long time. He couldn’t help but turn his nose up at it. The world might be ending, but that was no excuse to dress like a 5 year old who had been left alone to dress themselves for the first time.

“Interesting.” The man said. He glanced around his surroundings. He seemed to be in a TARDIS. The desktop was set on some kind of “crystal” setting however. He could only guess this was down to the fashion disaster standing in front of him right now.

“Doctor?” A voice came from behind the console, followed by a face. It was another young lady. “Are we safe now?”

“Not quite.” The blonde lady didn’t take her eyes off the man.

He snorted a mocking laugh and looked around the so call TARDIS. “Very interesting.” He shouted out loud.

“Doc, who is this?” The older man looked over to the blonde lady. “Don’t tell me this is another…”

“In a sense.” The lady frowned and checked the monitor. “This is bad.”

“Bad?” A new voice came forth. A younger man this time. “Worse than a few seconds ago?”

“OK, enough.” The mans patience was wearing thin. “I don’t know how you’ve done this, but I’m not falling for it.”

“Who you talking to, mate?” The older man leaned forward and tried to put a hand on his shoulder. The look he got in return was enough to make him pull the hand back sharpish.

“He thinks we’re an illusion.” The blonde lady kept reading the readouts. “Can’t say I blame him.” 

“That’s very convincing.” The man decided to direct his attention to what he assumed was meant to be his future self. “You almost sound like you could be me.”

“Dunno whether to take that as a compliment or not.” The lady glared at the man, but it wasn’t just filled with anger. There was something else there. Pity.

“So, I suppose you want me to refer to you as the Doctor?”

The lady’s expression didn’t change. “I do.”

Anger filled every fibre of the man. He slammed his hand down angrily on the console. It fizzed angrily at him. 

“DO NOT MOCK THAT NAME!” 

The three companions recoiled with fear. The lady, however did not flinch. The anger in her eyes seemed to fade away, and the pity took over completely. The man could see it in her eyes. She felt sorry for him. And instead of angering him further, the man felt himself calm slightly. It was like an old friend had comforted him.

The man shook it off. It was a good illusion, true, but he couldn’t be suckered in. The child was giving him hope. If he took hold of it, the child would take that hope away in the blink of an eye.

The man took a deep breath and calmed himself. “Let’s say I believe you. Play along for a minute. Let me ask you this.” He stood up straight and looked deep into the imposters eyes. “How could I ever use that name again?”

The lady didn’t answer. What was going on in her mind? Or rather, the childs mind. Was he trying to learn more about his character? 

“Maybe I’m overstepping my bounds here…” The man had almost forgotten the others around him. He turned to see the older man stepping forward cautiously. “…but, why wouldn’t she use that name? What do you mean?”

The man smiled. There it was. Trying to get information. Well, if it was information he wanted, who was he to disappoint.

“The Doctor was a hero to billions. He would save species after species, throughout time and space. He made a promise. He made a vow.”

“That’s what the Doctor does.” The younger man stood forward now. “I mean, that’s what she does.” He motioned to the blonde lady.

The man could feel the anger begin to rise again, but he kept it under control this time. He glared at the blonde lady.

“Never seen you before. You’re meant to be my future, right?”

The lady nodded slowly, her face emotionless.

“After all WE’VE done. How could we ever take that name back?”

She didn’t speak for the longest time. And yet the man didn’t fill the silence. He wanted to hear what this imposter would come up with. What excuse the child could possibly concoct. When he looked at this illusion, he couldn’t deny that he could sense something. Something so familiar. But it wasn’t possible. It flew in the face of everything he had experience during his many years of battle. Here stood this lady who seemed so unaffected. How could he ever forget something like this?

“I never forget.” It was like she had read his mind. This took the man back, The child was powerful, but he never seemed to be able to read the mans mind. “This moment, right now. It never leaves you. The things we’ve seen will scar us. And scars may never heal, but they do fade. Not fully, but still.”

The man was trying to process what she was saying. Was it even possible for a creature like the child to understand all of this? The hope was beginning to win out. He couldn’t let it. This must be a trick.

“You have done your homework, I admit. But like I said, you will not mock the name of the Doctor.”

In an instance, the atmosphere changed. The lady seemed to grow. Not physically, but her presence took over everything.

“I have worked so hard to be where I am today, and you will not take the name of the Doctor from me.”

She didn’t raise her voice, but something about the way she said it made the man shrink. He felt something he hadn’t felt in a long time. Fear. Even in the presence in the child, he didn’t feel fear. That raw power made him angry. It made him sad for the beings the child destroyed. But fear was something the man didn’t feel. And at that moment, the man knew.

“…Doctor?”

The Doctor beamed a dazzling smile. It almost took over her entire face. “In the flesh.”

She darted around the console, jabbing at buttons and pulling at levers frantically. It was like someone had her on pause this entire time, and suddenly someone had pressed fast forward.

“Now, the big question is, how? Time lock, hard thing to escape. Only reason we got into this moment is because of the reality bumpers. I did say they were notoriously unstable. Locked onto the most prominent thing on my mind at that moment. Apparently, it was gramps here. Flashed in, picked you up. Hope you weren’t doing anything important. For anyone else, they would be stuck here. Us, on the other hand, we do not belong here. Good news for us. From this point right up until the last moment of the Time War on the other hand is totally locked up. Not so good news.”

The Doctor was speaking, the man was listening, but it was almost as if everything she was saying was leaving his mind instantly. He had a future? A future in which he would be the Doctor again? How? The Doctor was still dancing around the console, her mouth a train of information.

“So, forward is a no go. BACKWARDS on the other hand. That might work. The Time War is a lot less Time War like at the start, so logically the lock should be weaker. Hopefully. Just go with it, cos it’s all I’ve got for now. So, we had back across the established events of the Time War and find an opening. Shouldn’t be that hard.”

Outside the Time War? The Time War ends? This war of time warping behemoths and beings of pure evil? It ends? How is that possible?

“But first, got to get you back to your TARDIS. Locking on and taking us in.”

The man was snapped back in a second. “No, wait.”

The Doctor stopped and looked at the man, puzzled.

“Don’t land. I was…” He struggled to find the best way to explain. “How much do you remember?”

The Doctor frowned. “Try me.”

“The child?”

The Doctors eyes widened. “Of course, I remember the child. It’s not something you tend to forget.” Her eyes glazed over. “Although…how…how did I escape? It was impossible. How did I…?”

The Doctor looked at the man. The look in her eyes, it was clear she figured it out as well. He had escaped the only way he could have. The Doctor had saved him. He wouldn’t remember being saved, of course. Time could not allow it. This memory would be lost to him, and would remain lost until he became her and rescued himself.

“Well,” The Doctor pressed a few buttons and the console room leapt to life. “you’re still going to need your TARDIS. Locking on and transporting her to our location.”

The man took a mental note of that. He wouldn’t remember everything, but subconsciously he would have to remember to figure out how to do that. 

The TARDIS jolted, and fell silence once again. The Doctor dashed past everyone and threw the doors open. They were in deep space. Floating a few feet away from them was the mans blue box. It was a sight for sore eyes. After all this time, his beautiful TARDIS was in arms reach.

The man walked towards the TARDIS doors, and reached out. He could just reach his own doors. Slipping his key into the lock, he heard the familiar click, and the doors swung open. His own TARDIS interior hummed him a welcome.

Before he knew it, he was standing inside his home. He didn’t remember jumping across. Had he? Or had the TARDIS pulled him in? It didn’t matter. He was back where he belonged. He turned to the doors, and floating out in the space was his future smiling at him.

“Well then, guess we better be going.”

“Wait.” The man had so many questions, but knew they were all pointless. He had precious little time before his memories left him. He only needed to know one thing. “How did you beat the child?”

The Doctors face fell. The smile was gone and deep thought crossed her eyes. She was deciding what she could tell him, the man knew. Finally, a small, sad smile spread across her lips, and she said three words that would echo throughout the Doctors subconscious.

“Find the Moment.”

With that, the TARDIS doors slammed shut, and the man was left alone, drifting in space. The Moment? What on earth was the Moment? The man wasn’t sure, but he knew he had to find out. Even after the blonde lady had faded from his mind, the man knew he had to find one thing. And knew that it would mean the end of the Time War.


End file.
